The work completed in the afternoon was nearly three times that of the day.
A total of over fifty logs, varying in thickness, were hauled by the players using ropes and carts and deposited along the outer wall of the infirmary.
To be honest, their performance exceeded Chu Guang's expectations.
Each log ranged in length from 8 to 10 meters, with some even reaching up to 20 meters, and more than half were as thick as a human thigh.
After making his calculations, Chu Guang found that the total contribution amounted to 2,000 points.
Old Bai had the highest yield, managing to gather 800 points by himself. On the other hand, Kuangfeng seemed to be the least fortunate. His clone body was not particularly athletic, more akin to an ordinary human physique, and after working the entire day, he had accumulated just 300 points.
As for what these points could be used for...
Chu Guang hadn't figured it out yet.
The shelter was in such dire straits that he had nothing but two lollipops in his pocket, the compressed biscuit he'd had earlier already consumed.
After some thought, he told the players that reviving someone not only took three days of waiting but also required "revival coins."
Revival coins could only be purchased with contribution points.
Though the purchasing power of contribution points was still rather limited, the players didn't seem to mind too much. After all, it was still the beta testing phase, so the limited content of the game was understandable. As long as the game didn't get wiped, they figured they could save up for when the official launch came, and surely there would be places to spend their accumulated resources.
Moreover, contribution points were intangible—they existed solely as numbers, which could only be checked after logging out and visiting the official website.
While Chu Guang had considered creating tangible coins like in the Stone City, the shelter's conditions were so dire that he couldn't even gather the materials for minting.
He certainly couldn't give them tokens either. Although these were the hard currency in the area around Qingquan City, he himself didn't have many left. Besides, handing out tokens wouldn't help; the players couldn't exactly trade them with the survivors' settlements.
The reason he could communicate with the survivors was because he was soul-bound to this world, his mind containing the language of this world.
But the clones used by the players were essentially blank slates, without even basic intelligence, let alone any inherited memories.
The language spoken by the survivors in Qingquan City was a unique common tongue, wholly distinct from the languages of any nation or people on Earth. It only bore slight similarities to Chinese in terms of grammar and pronunciation.
Chu Guang planned to eventually develop a translation tool to bridge the communication gap between the players and NPCs, as well as to reconsider the distribution system and economic model.
But that was for later.
...
As the tally of today's work came to a close, the sun was already dipping.
Chu Guang glanced up at the slanted rays of the setting sun, squinting slightly.
Night was approaching.
"Manager, I noticed that our outpost has no electricity," Fang Chang stepped forward and said, "Why don't we try to find a way to get a generator?"
That was a good question.
Unfortunately, it was essentially useless.
"We don't have an extra generator," Chu Guang looked at him. "Does anyone here have any knowledge in this field? Or perhaps any electrical expertise?"
The players exchanged glances.
"Couldn't we just run a wire from underground?" Night Ten asked, with a rather naïve question.
"There's no wire long enough for that, and the energy supply in the shelter isn't infinite. Even if it works for the short term, the long-term problem would remain unsolved, and it could create even bigger risks."
Chu Guang paused here.
"It's getting late. We should head back."
For the players, "heading back" naturally meant logging out.
Although the sky hadn't fully darkened yet, it was already five in the afternoon, and in the parallel world of Huaguo, dawn was just around the corner.
Unconsciously, the players realized they had spent quite a bit of time in the game world. A sense of lingering curiosity painted their faces—this world seemed to have much more to explore.
But with work still to be done tomorrow, they couldn't stay here forever.
...
Back inside Shelter 404.
Looking at the players lying back in their cultivation pods, Chu Guang wondered if he should try recruiting some idle people who weren't working during the day, or perhaps players from different time zones.
Otherwise, every night, the vast outpost would be left with only him, which wasn't ideal from a safety standpoint.
"I'll stay in the shelter tonight," he muttered.
He certainly didn't want to return to that "dog kennel" on Better Street unless absolutely necessary.
Just as Chu Guang was pondering what to do, Xiao Qi approached him.
"Master."
"What is it?"
"The clone body's health report has been updated. Would you like to take a look?"
Chu Guang hesitated for a moment.
"...Health report?"
"Yes! After each player logs out, the cultivation pods perform a scan of the clone bodies, recording their physical status and extracting a certain number of stem cells for backup. It also tracks the progress of the gene sequence development—"
"Wait, what's a gene sequence?"
Hearing this unfamiliar term, Chu Guang felt like he had missed some key information.
Unfazed by his confusion, Xiao Qi responded casually.
"Didn't you notice? Each player's clone body is synthesized from a different DNA sequence. The gene sequence is simply a code for each different DNA strand."
Chu Guang then asked, "What do you mean by development progress?"
"Every DNA sequence is meticulously designed. Unfortunately, we haven't fully unraveled the mysteries of life."
"Not all the genetic traits have been fully expressed. It's like how an athlete's child is more likely to become an athlete, but they don't automatically become one the moment they're born."
"And the so-called development progress refers to how prominently certain segments of the gene sequence are expressed, usually presented as a percentage."
"For example, a 100% development progress would mean the organism's capabilities have reached the theoretical limit of the gene's design, achieving its optimal state... but that's nearly impossible."
"Currently, the four activated gene sequences have a development progress between 0-1%. According to research, continuously stimulating survival instincts and exercising the body can improve this figure."
If the "gene sequence" were akin to a profession, "development progress" would be similar to a level.
A gene sequence that focuses on enhancing strength would be like a "barbarian" in D&D rules, naturally having greater strength and favoring the increase of strength attributes.
For instance, "White Steed Passing in the Blink of an Eye."
The other players appeared normal, but he was notably more muscular and covered in thick body hair, clearly not your average person.
Wow.
So, these clones—oh no, the players—can actually level up!
And there are talents too!
How was it that he only learned of this now?
Looking at Xiao Qi, who explained all this nonchalantly, Chu Guang couldn't help but ask.
"Why are you only telling me this now?!"
Xiao Qi replied with a hint of grievance, "Didn't you ask me not to speak up suddenly? I originally planned to tell you sooner."
Chu Guang: "..."
This guy...
He's definitely doing this on purpose!