Thomas suspected he knew the mysterious client's identity. The duo's knowledge of the director's office, the key, the combination… it all pointed to someone intimately familiar with the hospital's inner workings. The director himself? Ninety percent probability.
He glanced at the CBS keycard. Was this their target? He pondered, but the puzzle remained unsolved. He shrugged it off. The keycard was his now. He'd deal with the consequences later.
First, inventory. The duo's gear was next. The weapons, fitted with suppressors, were the real prize.
[Stechkin APS Suppressed Automatic Pistol] x2
Type: Pistol
Size: 4x1
Recoil: Vertical: 205, Horizontal: 138
Effective Range: 50 meters
Firing Modes: Semi-Automatic/Full-Automatic
Rate of Fire: 750
Accuracy: 11.11
Ammo: 9x18mm PM
Magazine: APS 9x18mm PM 20-round standard
---
[PP-91-01 Kedr-B Suppressed Submachine Gun] x2
Type: Submachine Gun
Size: 3x2
Recoil: Vertical: 38, Horizontal: 162
Effective Range: 100 meters
Firing Modes: Semi-Automatic/Full-Automatic
Rate of Fire: 900
Accuracy: 6.88
Ammo: 9x18mm PM
Magazine: PP-91 9x18mm PM 30-round standard
---
Tools of stealth and assassination. Perfect for his nocturnal scavenging runs. He'd experienced the suppressed pistol's effectiveness firsthand. He stowed the weapons carefully, replacing his old sidearm with one of the Stechkins. Thankfully, they all used the same 9x18mm ammo.
The rest of their gear yielded two Level 3 ballistic vests and two 12-slot ammo pouches. Nothing else of note.
Thirty minutes later, the Medical Workbench was complete. He immediately initiated the upgrade to the Medical Station. Then, the daily Super Monopoly roll.
Yesterday's hospital purchase had earned him 201 Wealth Points, bringing his total to 488. He performed his pre-roll ritual: bathroom break, washing his hands, applying Golden Star Balm, and offering a prayer.
"Lord Guan, God of War and Wealth, grant me luck this day."
He rolled. A three.
[Spend 300 Wealth Points to purchase White Tower Park?]
A park? Intriguing. He confirmed.
His Wealth Points decreased, and the virtual map updated. Parks, unlike stations, cabarets, and hospitals, didn't directly generate Wealth Points. Instead, they increased the value of his other properties, boosting their daily income. More parks, higher property values, more points.
Excellent.
He checked his messages. The icy rain had taken its toll. Numerous survivors offered trades for food or medicine. He'd churned out several batches of stew – a dozen bowls or so. He considered posting them on the World Channel but decided against it. Sandy's final sheep delivery was pending. He didn't want to risk her raising the price. The same logic applied to other potential mutton suppliers. He'd wait.
As he sifted through trade offers, he finally secured the last car battery for the Level 2 Generator upgrade. A can of food and an energy drink sealed the deal. The upgrade began.
A message from Sandy arrived.
Plains - Sandy: Ready to trade. Got ten sheep. You still want five?
City - Thomas: Make it seven.
He depleted his remaining canned goods and snacks, supplementing with some medicine, to complete the trade. His food stocks were low, but the sight of the raw mutton brought a smile to his face.
An hour later, he had twenty-four portions of [Nourishing Mutton Stew] ready. The Medical Station upgrade completed.
[Medical Station] Level 2
Type: Hideout Facility
Effect 1: Restocks random medical items daily at midnight (Current probabilities: Pills 40%, Wound Treatment 30%, First Aid Kit 25%, Injectables 5%).
Effect 2: +25 Immunity, +25 Health, +25 Vitality
Effect 3: 20% chance to craft double the amount of medical items.
---
[Health]: Improves wound healing, reduces fracture chance, lowers stamina and water consumption.
[Vitality]: Reduces bleeding and instant death chance from critical injuries, improves wound healing in combat.
---
"Holy crap, this is amazing!" He'd known the Medical Station, bundled with the lab keycard, was special. But this exceeded his expectations.
The Medical Station, like the Level 2 Bathroom and Kitchen, offered crafting options. Low-value medical items could be combined to create higher-value ones.
Surgical Kit + Car First Aid Kit = Emergency Surgical Kit
Assorted Pills + Sterile Bandages + Tourniquet = IFAK
Tool Kit + Magnet + Wire + Capacitor + Power Bank = Defibrillator
…and more. The crafting list was extensive. A sustainable source of advanced medical supplies. And with the chance of double output… pure profit.
Low-grade medical items had always been undervalued. Surgical Kit, Assorted Pills… useless on their own. Now, they were valuable resources. He'd focus on acquiring them. A long-term investment. Plus the daily restock…
The restock probabilities revealed the item tier system. Pills were the most common, their effects limited and short-lived. His most valuable pills were the ibuprofen, useful for the current cold snap, but their value would plummet after the blizzard.
The real prizes were the injectables and advanced medical kits. His hunch had been correct. Injectables would be highly sought after, their potent effects commanding high prices.
Satisfied, he loaded the station with his low-grade medical supplies, initiating all crafting recipes.
Two hours later, the Generator reached Level 2. Smaller, quieter, more efficient. The battery allowed it to store excess power, shutting down automatically when full and restarting when the charge dropped to 20%. Electricity independence.
But a new problem arose. The only remaining requirement for the Intelligence Center was Classified Intelligence. A rare commodity. Two days, and no one had offered it for trade. He was convinced the Intelligence Center was crucial for his development, but none of the trade requests offered it. Plenty of offers for the Looter Treasure Chest components, though, most at exorbitant prices. He made a few reasonable trades, ignoring the rest.
"Today," he decided. "The Intelligence Center gets built today."
He posted a picture of the Nourishing Mutton Stew on the World Channel. He'd find someone willing to trade.
City - Thomas: [Image of Nourishing Mutton Stew] x1. Conquer the extreme cold! Survive the freeze! Your last hope before the dawn! Removes [Chill] status. Your second chance at life! Limited quantity! First come, first served! Trading for rare items or Classified Intelligence ONLY. DM with offers.
He duplicated the message in the regional chat, then sent two portions to Ben Walker.
Thomas: Two for you, buddy. Just in case.
It wasn't altruism. He owed Ben. Two grenades for a life-saving recipe. Besides, he had plenty to spare. And he liked Ben. The guy was resourceful. Better to have him as a friend than an enemy.
Ben's reply was instant.
Ben: Holy crap, dude! Is that the recipe I sold you? It's that good?!
Thomas: The one and only. Regretting it now? A test.
Ben: Nah, no regrets. You're the one with a Level 2 Kitchen! This thing's only valuable for a few days. If the next disaster is a heatwave, it's worthless. So, no, no regrets.
Ben: Hey, you got more, right? Don't sell out! Save me a few bowls. I'll buy more when I'm done with these.
Thomas smiled. He liked Ben's pragmatism.
Thomas: Consider it done.
Ben: Thanks, man!
As predicted, the World and regional channels exploded. The [Nourishing Mutton Stew] was a bombshell. The chat went into meltdown.